Subaru WRX

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Tested: 2015 Subaru WRX Manual

Test Location: - September 2014

EPA

0-60

Horsepower

Top Speed

21/28 mpg

5.0 sec

268 hp

144 mph

Overview:
The rally-inspired WRX has always been an Impreza on steroids, but this year Subaru has turned up the dosage. The new structure is stronger, and the suspension is retuned with spring rates that are stiffer all around. The 268-hp turbo four and six-speed manual are capable of quicker 0–60 times than the STI; a CVT is offered, but the manual is more rewarding to drive. Cornering is heavenly, but the ride is harsh. With a base price some $8000 less than the STI, the WRX seems the smart choice. Instrumented Test – 2015 Subaru WRX Sedan Manual »

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2015 Subaru WRX Sedan Manual

Greatness sometimes comes in odd little packages.

Even the cruelest parking valets are unlikely to rev a car’s engine to redline and dump its clutch. But that’s just what a Subaru engineer suggested we do when we asked him how to get the best acceleration times out of the 2015 WRX.

In human terms, this sort of launch is equivalent to jumping out of a moving car and hoping to suddenly start running like Usain Bolt.

“Rev the engine high enough to get wheelspin when the clutch engages, and shift out of first around 5200 rpm,” advised the engineer. With the four-wheel-drive traction of the WRX in mind, we wondered aloud, “You sure the clutch and gearbox will survive that launch?”

“Oh, yes,” he grinned.

Try mightily though they have, Subaru's stylists could not hide the fact that the WRX is wholly derived from the Impreza sedan.

And so, here’s how we hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds: We held the engine at the 6700-rpm redline, jumped off the clutch, shifted out of first at about 5300 rpm, and held on to second until the car hit the redline in second at 61 mph. To get down to a repeatable 4.8-second time, we subjected the WRX to this mechanical mayhem 14 times. To its credit, it didn’t utter a peep of discontent. The clutch didn’t slip, no driveshafts turned into fusilli, and the six-speed ’box shifted and responded exactly as it did when we started. Will you try this with your new WRX? We doubt it. And if instead you just ease off the line, your times will likely be somewhere closer to our 6.3-second rolling-start 5-to-60-mph figure.

A machine that takes a licking but keeps on ticking is deeply endearing. Just ask anyone who wears a Timex. But that’s not the only reason we’re charmed by the new WRX. Subaru has made its latest version into a handler, and that’s this generation’s big leap forward. Previously, the WRX left dynamic finesse to the pricier STI version. But compared with the old WRX, the new car’s structure is 41 percent stiffer for better handling fidelity, and the spring rates have been cranked up by 39 percent at the front and 62 percent in the rear to further sharpen up things. There are also larger anti-roll bars and firmer bushings, and the aluminum lower control arms of the strut front suspension are unique to the WRX. Sticky Dunlop Sport Maxx RT summer tires are standard.

To help keep the WRX stable in limit-cornering situations, the Active Torque Vectoring (ATV) system uses the front brakes to momentarily clamp one wheel, which helps steer the car through a corner. On the skidpad, our WRX test car clung fast at 0.95 g.

It takes less than a quarter-mile of driving to feel the newly stiffened WRX jiggling the untoned parts of your body. On patched pavement or over freeway expansion joints, the car will jostle you, but the rigid body quickly attenuates impacts. Compared with the Impreza upon which it is based—but with which it no longer shares a name—the WRX gets more high-strength steel in its A-pillars, a thicker floorpan, and additional gussets that connect the fire wall with the passenger cabin. The payoff for the firm ride is excellent body control and sports-car-like resistance to both diving under braking and squatting under acceleration.

To combat brake fade, Subaru fits 12.4-inch vented rotors (0.8 inch larger than the last WRX’s) and two-piston calipers up front, and 11.3-inch solid rotors with single-piston calipers in back. A larger master cylinder and a more responsive booster are intended to improve brake feel. Although they do feel better than before, the WRX’s brakes lack the bite and arresting grab of a Ford Focus ST’s or a 2015 Volkswagen GTI’s. That said, the WRX didn’t exhibit any fade when it executed back-to-back stops from 70 mph in only 160 feet.

Snaking in and out of the switchbacks on the Angeles Crest Highway above Los Angeles, the WRX is confident and stable but never boring. There’s a sense of playfulness here, with ample feedback from the chassis. The six-speed has pedals set up perfectly for heel-toe downshifts and boasts throws shortened by 12 percent over the old WRX’s five-speed ’box. Shifting requires a shove, but the gates are closely spaced and the action is precise. Turn-in grip is excellent, and next to its front-drive competition, the WRX isn’t quite as nose-heavy. And with four-wheel drive, the WRX has no problem turning its 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque into corner-exit speed. A new electric-power-steering system boasts Porsche-like tuning; spin the flat-bottomed 14.5-inch wheel, and the nose dives into corners precisely and predictably. Unlike many EPS systems, the WRX’s feels natural as the steering effort increases with cornering loads.

The flat-four under the aluminum hood is a member of the FA engine family that powers the turbocharged Forester XT and the naturally aspirated BRZ and Scion FR-S. Direct injected, the engine inhales 15.9 pounds of peak boost (or slightly more during brief overboost periods) and has a 10.6:1 compression ratio. Redline is painted on the tach at 6700 rpm when you get the six-speed manual, which you should, because the other option is a CVT. Power tapers off slightly past the 5600-rpm power peak. Around town, the throttle is jumpy, and it’s all too easy to get more boost than you really want.

In the interest of refinement, engine noise is muted so less of the flat-four’s characteristic growl makes it to the occupants’ ears. There is some low-rpm boom from the four-tip exhaust system, but the new WRX is no louder than before at full throttle. At a steady 70 mph, the WRX is slightly quieter than before. But on certain types of pavement, the Dunlops hum with a coarseness that we found unrefined and annoying.

We’d like more refinement in the interior, too. A modified version of what you’d find in a regular Impreza, the cabin offers soft-touch plastics throughout, but they have a sheen that won’t win over parishioners from the Church of the Volkswagen GTI. Bits of fake carbon-fiber trim attempt to inject some visual appeal, but the stuff is obviously counterfeit. This is not to say, however, that the interior is light on substance. Near the top of the dashboard sits a 4.3-inch multifunction display that provides audio and climate-control information, Bluetooth settings, a boost gauge, and a rear view while backing up. Automatic climate control is standard, as are extremely comfortable cloth sport seats. We found it easy to find a good driving position, and outward visibility is excellent for a modern car.

Aside from a 0.6-inch increase in length, the WRX is the same size as before, although a one-inch wheelbase stretch delivers a larger rear seat with almost two more inches of legroom. Despite the similar footprint, overall interior space is up, and trunk space has grown from 11.3 cubic feet to an even 12. On the safety front, there’s a new knee airbag on the driver’s side as well as three-mode stability control—on, off, and off with brake-based yaw control (ATV). The firmer structure and additional standard equipment have bumped up the curb weight to 3314, an increase of 64 pounds.

The WRX's cabin would benefit from better materials, but the 4.3-inch multifunction display (bottom left) is a nice, helpful touch.

Hot-hatch aficionados will have to shop at Ford or VW stores, as the WRX is now available only as a sedan. And, aside from the nose, the new WRX is not a very pretty four-door. As we go to print, Subaru has not announced pricing, but we’re told it will be very close to the outgoing car’s. We expect that our mid-level Premium model with sunroof and heated cloth seats will wear a sticker of $30,000. Base versions will likely come in at $27,500, and a fully loaded Limited model with navigation and CVT automatic will likely crest $31,000.

If we were shopping in this class and really wanted four-wheel drive, we’d look no further than the WRX. In fact, the new Rex reminds us of the old, track-ready STI and has us speculating about the upcoming next-gen STI. If it is meaningfully more aggressive than this WRX, it will be one of the most extreme road cars ever to wear the Subaru badge. We hope the good people at Fuji Heavy Industries don’t chicken out.

TEST NOTES:We performed 14 clutch dumps at or near redline in pursuit of the best launch. The WRX took the abuse without complaint. We achieved our quickest zero-to-60 times by holding second gear well past the 5600-rpm power peak to the 6700-rpm redline.

The fourth-generation WRX and STI are based on the current-generation Impreza, which was introduced for 2012. They are available as four-door sedans only, with most body panels changed to reflect their performance-oriented purposes; sadly, the beloved hatchback model has been dropped.

The WRX is powered by a new turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four engine with 268 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, mated to a six-speed manual transmission or a surprisingly responsive CVT, the latter featuring eight manually selectable ratios. The WRX’s sophisticated all-wheel-drive system is made even sharper by a brake-based torque vectoring system.

The WRX STI features a turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four carried over from the previous model with 305 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque, and it comes only with a six-speed manual transmission. The all-wheel-drive system features a driver-adjustable center differential. Unlike the WRX with its electric-assist power steering, the STI features hydraulic power steering that is precise, informative, relaxed. The STI also boasts faux suede and leather seats and LED headlamps. There is a giant wing on the trunklid to let everyone know you can fly if you so choose to—figuratively if not literally.

The EPA rates the WRX at 21 mpg city / 28 highway for the manual transmission and 19 city / 25 highway for the CVT; WRX STI models are rated at 17/23.

The fourth-generation WRX represents something of a performance bargain and is an absolute blast to drive on a twisty two-lane road, even when wet or snow-covered. Its rigid body and stiff suspension give it tenacious grip in corners, though the ride is quite harsh. The pricier, more powerful STI rides on an even stiffer suspension, but combined with the adjustable center differential, it delivers physics-defying levels of grip.

2008: The WRX adopts the new Impreza’s sheetmetal but adds ground effects and a big hood scoop. The STI receives aggressive fascias, wide fenders, and fat quad exhaust pipes and is offered only in hatchback form. 2009: The WRX’s styling is slightly updated; the automatic transmission is discontinued, the chassis is sharpened, and a new turbocharger bumps horsepower to 265. 2010: An STI Special Edition debuts, with fewer amenities and a stiffer suspension than that of the Japanese-market Spec C. 2011: The STI adopts a new grille and a tighter chassis and gains a sedan variant; the WRX adopts the STI’s wide-body styling and quad pipes. 2014: Standard rearview camera added; smartphone integration added to optional navigation system.

2002: After denying North American enthusiasts the rally-bred, first-generation Impreza WRX, Subaru brings the WRX to the U.S. as an Impreza variant. Featuring flared fenders and powered by a raucous 227-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine, the WRX is an instant favorite of enthusiasts. Transmission choices are a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic. 2003: The WRX STI debuts, blessed with a 300-hp, 2.5-liter turbocharged flat-four and six-speed manual. 2004: A refreshed model features redesigned headlamps, taillamps, and fascias as well as an updated suspension and interior. 2006: The WRX’s second mid-cycle update brings a gaping grille, beefier brakes, and quicker steering, along with a 230-hp, 2.5-liter flat-four. 2007: The cushy STI Limited is introduced.

1993–2000: The first-generation WRX and WRX STI models are built in limited numbers. They are based on all-wheel-drive Imprezas and boast viscous couplings and limited-slip rear differentials. Initially intended for amateur racers interested in rallying, the WRX serves up spectacular handling and bansheelike acceleration. Several variants are sold as the WRX, and the even more intense STI variant evolves. Sadly, the first-generation models are never sold in the U.S.